My version of Season 5
by jameron4eva
Summary: Due too the cancellation of the last of my favorite shows on SyFy (Sci-fi), I am endeavoring to make my own 5th season. Each chapter will be it's own episode, while my other WH13 story will be one whole episode, with each chapter as a break in the action for a "commercial". I hope you like this story!
1. Chapter 1

**Season 5, Episode 1 :**

**Author's Note**: Due to my feelings on the ending of season 4, and more ostensibly, the cancellation. I have seen too many shows I LOVE get cancelled due to an outdated "ratings system" and stupid reality shows. Dark Angel, Firefly, TSCC, BSG (2003), Eureka, so on and so forth, I'm tired of it! So this series, different from my other series "It's A Warehouse Thing", will venture forth from 4x20 into "My" season 5 and, if you enjoy it, more.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing of the Warehouse, not the warehouse itself, nor Artie, Pete, Myka, Steve, Leena, and sadly…not Claudia. The show belongs to SyFy, and by extension, NBC/COMCAST, if it didn't the show wouldn't be cancelled simple as that.

Claudia stared at Paracelsus, not once moving, no blinking of the eye, no shake of the head, only the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and the fire of hate and anger that he would DARE hurt the Warehouse, hurt Mrs. Fredericks, Pete Myka and Artie and Steve, and of course her. Smiling Paracelsus cocked his head again, and looked at her inquisitively trying to gauge her reactions, and her strength, to see just how "strong" this replacement caretaker for the old one might be. All the while she kept her focus on him, funneling her inner emotions into something she might be able to use against this man; she also felt the strength of the Warehouse filling her, hiding its strength in her to keep him from getting it. She stood as got closer to her, close enough to see into his eyes, a trick that the caretakers could do, he was trying to use an ancient power he knew to be neigh unstoppable.

Paracelsus opened his mouth to say something, when he found he couldn't speak, his body wouldn't respond to his commands, and he tried to move his eyes, get them out of her vision to undo whatever she was able to do. "Didn't know I a defense had been made huh?" Claudia spoke, a small smile forming, "you've forgotten one thing, I have been training for this, to be caretaker." For the first time since he'd been imprisoned in bronze, Paracelsus felt fear, real honest to God fear. Looking into Paracelsus's eyes Claudia smiled, because she knew while she had an advantage, he also had tricks up his sleeve to beat her, but she wouldn't let him win, not at all.

"How, I-I mean how could he gain control of the Warehouse!?" Artie shouted, still not willing to accept that someone other than him or his team had control. Dropping to his knees, he let a tear fall down, "How could he do this, keep Claudia here?" and he felt Steve put his hand on one shoulder, and Mrs. Fredericks hand on another, in a weak attempt at comforting him. One hand he didn't feel however was Pete's, looking over he saw Pete staring out at the distance, 'why was he doing that?' he thought. Mrs. Fredericks had already beaten him to the punch though, and asked Pete he question, "What's wrong Agent Lattimer?"

Pete didn't answer for the first few seconds, so much running through his head, he just wanted to help Myka. He never, NEVER should've listened to Paracelsus he should've followed his gut, and gotten the hell out of dodge, but the need to help Myka had trumped it, and now, look what had happened. By the third time Mrs. Fredericks asked the question he turned around, tears in his eye, and his wind pipe closed up, preventing him from talking. Next he knew Artie was up off his feet, and was this close to strangling him, barely being restrained by an angered Mrs. Fredericks, and a close to hostile Steve.

Steve was the first one to say anything, "Pete, what happened? And don't play games with me the truth, or I WILL kill you." Mrs. Fredericks looked sideways at that, but knew Pete had to have, HAD to have had a reason for this gross misconduct which has led to this very, very real threat. He looked into Pete's eyes and knew what was going to come out was the truth, and that he wasn't going to like it. Pete's eyes got as wide and as wet as they could've been, and he also saw sadness, and immediate regret, but not remorse for what had happened.

Artie wanted to strangle Pete, he really did, but something was holding him back, maybe it was Pete's eyes, or maybe it was the part of him who wanted to hear Pete out, hear why Pete let Paracelsus out, and forced Claudia to make this choice which has split them all off from each other. He vaguely saw the sorrow on his face, the pain, and he knew the information that would come out would impact him more than anything up till this point.

Pete tried to work past the huge ball in his neck, wishing he didn't have to say anything, but knowing he needed to, needed to tell them, needed to explain. "Um...Oh GOD what have I done?" was all he got out before he had to wipe his face, just to get the tears cleared enough to see. "He was in…in stasis, and I was guarding him, when he started talking..." "YOU TALKED WITH HIM!?" Artie cut in anger on his face. "Let's hear him out." Mrs. Fredericks said to Artie, and nodded to Pete, making sure to give him the look to get to the point. "Yes I did, but only because he mentioned he knew how to. To help Myka." Stopping again Pete looked into the sky, and even he couldn't believe the groaning noise that came from his body when he told them, all his anger filled in with it, and was sure he was heard miles away "MYKA HAS CANCER!" He looked down again and fixed eyes with Artie. "God, he was telling me about some artifacts that could help cure her, and tricked me into using the philosopher's stone."

Eyes wide, Artie looked at him, so many things running through his head, and just stared at Pete, crossing between wanting to kill him right there, and going to hug him, as a family member would. He heard Mrs. Fredericks open her mouth, and waited for her response, on this matter Artie was stumped, and would base his reaction to Pete from her own. "Agent Lattimer, just why would you take such a huge risk, risk everything?" Pete dropped to his knees and slumped his shoulders, like he'd given up hope, and looked straight at her, with haunted eyes. "I just wanted to save her, save her from the cancer that's been killing her for weeks, I was stupid, so stupid, and I'll do WHATEVER I can to make it right." Artie just looked at him, and made his decision, Pete wouldn't die, but he was definitely going to be in serious trouble, he voiced his opinion. "That's going to take A LOT Pete." And then he turned away to see Steve looking with both anger, and pity on Pete, and added, "Don't come back until you can do it." He turned Steve around, and walked away to try to find something, ANYTHING, they could use to get back IN the Warehouse.

On his knees Pete just looked at Artie, he couldn't move, couldn't say anything, couldn't even cry, he knew he deserved to feel this way, prepared to let Artie and Steve do whatever they wanted to him, but this feeling was worse, way, WAY worse. "Whatever you will do to 'fix' this, you must do it quick, and as Artie said, don't come back until you can FIX THIS!" Mrs. Fredericks said to him, her eyes wide with anger, but also showing pain, for whom he didn't know. Pete slowly, shakily got up, and nodded his head, turning toward his Jeep he stopped when he heard her say something else. "Fulfill YOUR destiny Agent Lattimer." Whipping his head around, he saw her holding out a piece of paper, "This address, and make sure to explain EVERYTHING, now GO! HURRY! DO IT FOR YOUR LOVE!"

Turning around Mrs. Fredericks heard Pete slam the door to his Jeep, and speed off, and shook her head, feeling the anger at the betrayal, but cooled and saddened by the newest revelation, she slowly made her way up to Artie and Steve. "How? How could he do it?" Artie said, obviously shaken by the news, and still unable to completely catch up with everything that was happening. Claudia now the caretaker, fighting for her life, and the life of the Warehouse from a psychotic nutcase, Pete, however accidently helping Paracelsus, and now Myka dying of CANCER?! Dropping to his knees, Artie yelled to the heavens, and didn't stop until both Steve, and Mrs. Fredericks had to grab him, and calm him down.

**Wichita, Kansas, 2 ½ hrs later,**

Pete drove down the last street the GPS had said to go, and he still couldn't control his crying, he was sad, angry, hopeless, and worn out from everything that was going on, and had a vibe that it was only to get worse. Stopping at the location Mrs. Fredericks had given him, he turned the Jeep off, and replayed everything in his mind, from Myka's face as she told him about her having cancer, to Claudia's face as he left, he had a feeling she already knew, and had forgiven him, or he hoped so, but he couldn't be sure. Trying to gather all his strength, he closed his eyes, and hardened his heart, something he'd learned in his time in the corps, focus on the mission, you have a goal, which is to end this, and he had a target, which is Paracelsus. Opening the door to the Jeep, he felt all his emotion get hidden under lock and key, he would get the final piece, the plan, and he would end this, either by helping Claudia, or by sacrificing himself for them all.

Looking at his destination he thought it to be a normal house at first, you know the type, white Pickett fence, yellow/white paint which Claude would hate if she saw it he knew, and a ton of windows, enough to know that the owner knew he was here. And also a very defensible position, 2 stories, and one or two entrance/exit spaces, very paranoid, and very, VERY Regent. He walked up the cobble stone walk path and knocked on the door, for half a second before it was swung wide open, and he knew then why Mrs. Fredericks had sent him there. "Hey mom," he started slowly, turning his head to see her security advisor watching him, "we need to talk." Turning his head back to his mother he saw her looking at the paper in his hand with fear in her eyes. Looking back up, she shook her head slightly, then turned around, and moved forward just enough to allow him entrance to her new home.

**Inside the Warehouse,**

She knew her eyes were hard, and she was letting her anger best her, but she had to let him know who he was messing with, and she cocked her head slightly, and got an idea. Smiling Claudia backed up a fraction of a meter, and returned her head back to normal, "You will not win Paracelsus, you will lose, and I will do whatever it takes to save MY warehouse." Then she made her face hard again, as hard as stone, in an instant her eyes glowed golden red, not too unlike a Phoenix rising from the ashes of the old, and with a nod of her head, she flung Paracelsus as far back as she could, sending him into the spike from the wheel of Julius Caesar's chariot. Smiling her now creepy smile, she shouted out with furious anger, "THIS. IS. MY. WAREHOUSE!" loud enough to make the whole building shake like an 11.0 X 10 earthquake. "AND I WILL DEFEND HER!"

**Outside the Warehouse**

Artie felt the shaking coming from the Warehouse, and had a feeling that it was Claudia, not Paracelsus that was the cause of it, or so he hoped at least. Then something amazing happened, as if the warehouse was fighting back with her, the shield changed color for a second, glowing a golden red, and then splitting half of the shield between red, and blue. "YES! GO CLAUDIA!" he couldn't help but say, and then he gained control of his emotions. Looking at Mrs. Fredericks he smiled, "Let's go see if that change in color will be just enough to let us pass, shall we?" Nodding Steve looked at Mrs. Fredericks, and saw something on her face, good or bad he didn't know, but he knew he saw it. "What is it?" he asked her, and she didn't answer him, at least, not for a while. "I think, were seeing something," she paused, and took stock of her words "AMAZING!" Smiling Mrs. Fredericks grabbed both Steve and Artie by the shoulders, "I think, were seeing the birth of a new, a new Warehouse!"

**Regent Lattimer's House, Wichita, Kansas,**

"NO!" he heard his mother gasp, and felt a pang of regret deep in his heart, but he was too focused on his mission to let his emotions interfere anymore. Standing up, he fixed her with a stare, and looked deep into her eyes, he saw something there, like he was looking into them with new eyes. "Mom, it's true," and he saw her recoil as if slapped in the face by him, which it just might have been. "Now what must I do to fix it?" She looked at him for a second and knew, he KNEW that she wasn't going to tell him, and he was right. "No Pete, the council, they. They must be told..." Grabbing her shoulders he stopped her, he also felt the security guy moving to make him stop, and turning his head Pete sent him flying into a wall, knocking him out. Turning back to her, he noticed his eyes in a mirror, and saw they were, different, they were a golden red. Looking at his mother he said, "Mom, I must do what I must, Mrs. Fredericks told me of a Destiny I must complete," Seeing recognition in her eyes, he got even more serious. "Mom, tell me." Shaking her head he felt his mother grab him, and turn her head from side to side, not wanting to say anything.

'How, how can it be time already?!' Jane thought to herself, wishing that she'd known NOTHING of Pete's destiny, or of the warehouse. But she also knew that this was it, the 13th has come and gone, and the 14th must be born. Calming herself down she picked her head up to look through still tear filled eyes, and nodded to him, then pointed to the chair next to her. "How about," she chocked back a sob, then she looked into his eyes, which by now had returned to something like normal, but they were different as well. "How about I show you," Seeing the confusion on his face, she picked her cell phone up, and dialed a number. "Mr. Kosan, come see me at my house please, and bring another regent as well." Then she closed the phone, and looked at Pete, smiled at him for a second and asked him, "Sure this is what.." she trailed off as he nodded his head yes, so much like his father, all those years ago.

**The Hospital,**

Myka woke up from her surgery, and immediately felt pain, searing white hot pain when she tried to sit up. "Ah, ah, ah," a nurse said to her as she came in to check the I.V. bags, and monitoring equipment for vitals, "you don't want to hurt yourself now do you? Doctor will be here in a minute." As the nurse walked out, Myka thought she saw a slight glow, like a HALO around the woman, but thought nothing of it, and sat, waiting for the Doctor to come, and give her a full report. As an afterthought she opened up her phone to see about a hundred messages from Artie, half as much from Steve, and NONE from Pete. "Maybe I should give Pete a call?" she asked herself out loud, but a second later her decision was made for her, as her doctor came in, and he looked confused.

**5 Hours after Warehouse take over,**

Pete couldn't believe what his mother had told him, but now it all made sense, his vibes, the way he was still just a kid at heart, always believing in the good of everyone, and everything. But also about the uncanny need to do what was right, even if hurting someone good meant to protect others, and his easy way to judge people based on his feel of them. He looked her in the eye, and knew that she was telling him the truth, even if parts were abnormal or weird, and most of all, just what kind of man his father really was. Shaking his head he stood up to look out a window, as Mr. Kosan entered the building.

"Right, we are here now, what is it that you need Jane?" he asked in his usual voice, one that always seemed to put everyone off base just a bit, not out of evil, but out of judgment of character, of THEIR character. Still slightly shaken up Jane looked at him and said, "Mr. Kosan, code," turning to look at her son one more time, knowing it would be the last, and she let a single tear, one last tear drop, before turning back. "Code Phoenix Mr. Kosan, we must do it now!"

Looking between mother and son, her took a deep breath, and looked straight at Pete, who didn't flinch or move. "I assume that something bad has happened, and it has forced your hand." Nodding Pete looked him in the eyes, and was about to speak before Kosan held his hand with its ring up. "No! Do not say anything Peter Lattimer, your destiny, your life, must begin again, and you mustn't influence my decisions." Looking at the last surviving Regent from the terror of Sykes, the only other one who knew the full story of the warehouse, besides Jane Lattimer, and himself Kosan now knew what must be done, while undesirable with him as regent lead, must come to pass. "Prepare." Was all he said before he moved to mother and son, grabbing their hands, and looking at the other regent.

Pete didn't know EXACTLY what was going on, but he knew that it was a game changer, and that his destiny was about to be fully exposed. Only a few regents knew of this plan, and its history, and that it had been done, 13 times before, or so his mother had told him. Also he was told, that this should be, according to prophecy the last time, it would break the cycle, and never happen again. What that meant he did not know, but he was sure it was a good thing. What he didn't expect was for the glowing light to knock him out.

**Outside the Warehouse,**

Mrs. Fredericks was still conversing with Artie and Steve on how to try to get into the red side of the warehouse, what they were thinking was Claudia's side, when she felt it. She knew it wasn't from the Warehouse, nor Claudia, nor Paracelsus, as all those connections were severed. Then she felt what it was, it was like, hope, extreme unadulterated hope, and life had suddenly moved into everyone, everywhere. Smiling she turned to Artie, and said, "I'm sure you feel it too Arthur?" Stopping Artie looked at her, and thought for a second, FELT for a second, and nodded, he did feel it, the joy, and the hope that was filling him, warming his soul. Looking at Steve he noticed Steve felt it as well, judging by the smile on his face. "But Mrs. Fredericks, what is it?" Artie asked, and she looked at him, with a contented look on her face. "Arthur, that is hope, that is Destiny," looking around she smiled, "It is life, but most of all, its love." Steve looked at her, and his eyes widened, "You mean?" he asked her, and she closed her eyes, and nodded her head, smile still in place. "Why yes Mr. Jinks, that feeling, is coming from Pete."

**Inside the Warehouse,**

Dodging a random ball of fire from Paracelsus Claudia quickly moved from spot to spot, using the power of the warehouse, HER warehouse, to keep from getting hit by one of his fire balls. When she sent him flying into Caesar's chariot, Claudia had also broken the spell the warehouse had allowed her to put on him, yes he had a spike through his chest, but he lived, and he could move, and he had gotten very angry.

"WHERE ARE YOU LITTLE GIRL?" He growled out at the top of his lungs, trying to scare her into coming out, he'd already used up everything she holds dear though, and still she hadn't given up. But cockiness comes before the fall, and suddenly he was behind her, she'd been herded into his side, and he blasted her with a seismic wave. "Foolish girl, now you will pay for your insolence." Looking into each other's eyes they saw the end coming, and as he powered up for the final attack, they both felt something, something so sudden he stopped, and she used the distraction to hit him in the neck, and go back to her side, DEEP into her side.

**Kansas,**

Suddenly waking up, Pete gasped for breath, and he sucked in air like a vacuum, getting every atom of the composition in his body. Then he suddenly stopped, wait he could, could SEE ATOM NOW?! "This is SOOOOOOO COOL!" he said smiling. "Hey mom, can you do this too?" He asked looking around the room. First he saw the unnamed regent, someone he thought looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on what, also he appeared to be dead. "Mom? Mr. Kosan?" he asked, picking himself up off the ground, and trying to look around in the fog. He saw a black dress shoe on the floor, and went to grab it, when he picked it up, it came back with pants, but no leg. Swiping the fog away, he got a good look why, there was Mr. Kosan's clothes, lying on the floor, but nothing was in them but a fine powder of dust, and then the memories hit him, memories of lives lived thousands of years ago. From the very first, to the very last, from a lonely little boy named Peter, sitting along a river, and finding the first Artifact, to…."NO!" he yelled as he searched more furiously.

Then he saw her, sitting against a wall, her body badly burnt, yet looking as healthy as ever, and he knelt down beside her, and he couldn't keep the tears from his eyes, no matter how much training he'd had. "Mom, no." he said, and she slightly turned her eyes towards him, and smiled. "It was," she started, but coughed into her hand, and blood came out, "It was already decided Pete, centuries ago, YOU are the one to help the last caretaker," she stopped and coughed again. "No mom, you can't..." he trailed off, not wanting to continue with the line of thought, but she did it for him. "I must Peter, that is my job it has ALWAYS been my job." She smiled again, and shakily moved her hand to touch his face, "YOU are the last guardian Pete, you know it, everything, it's all led up to this." Still smiling she whipped his tear from his face, and then patted him on the chest. "I did it for love, and so, so did your father."

Peter watched as she coughed again, and then he shifted around a little bit, to be closer to her, and let her have some piece, and that was when he felt it, the shackle, on his right wrist, right where it should be, and he realized something. "This, this was the plan after all?" and she looked into his eyes, from hers which showed the life which was slowly fading away, and she nodded. Then she pulled him close with what little strength she had left, and he let her, she wrapped her now shaking arms around him, and whispered into his ear, "Always remember love Pete, never have hate, only pure love can.." she slowed to a stop, and coughed one more time, "WIN." Then as he looked into her eyes, Pete saw the last of her life fade away, and he let the tears flow, but they weren't tears of anger, they were tears of happiness, and joy, joy for the life he'd been a part of, and happiness that it was now in a better place.

Laying her down, Pete stood up, and took one last look at his mother, Mr. Kosan, and the other regent, and nodded to them, ready to move on. Turning away slowly he walked to the door, and opened it before stopping, and giving one last look at the room, the room where the last piece had finally fallen into place, the piece that would seal the Warehouse's protection, for good. Smiling he walked into the early morning light, and closed the door, he had a friend to help, and a friend to save.

**Hospital, 13 hours later,**

Myka still couldn't believe it, she'd jumped happily in the room when he told her, at least until the pain kicked back in. Apparently the cancer had not been near as serious as they had thought, and he'd only needed her to stay to have some extra examinations. "Now Ms. Bearing, you might still have to be very careful what you do, and how you live, this threat is gone, but, judging from data collected, and past visits, it seems you need to be more careful." Tuning him out after he'd said the threat is gone Myka smiled, and asked if she might be able to leave soon. "Ms. Bearing, you had a major operation, and are still in pain, not until I'm sure you're okay will you be allowed to leave, should be 2-3 days, tops, just to make sure you're clear of an residual effects, okay?" Nodding she went back to sleeping, feeling much better, but thinking the doctor was right, she felt tired, and needed sleep.

**Inside the Warehouse,**

"SHIT!" Claudia cursed as the latest attack from Paracelsus came and went, and she knew she was wearing out from all this offense here, run here, defense here, run here she'd been doing, she just needed a LITTLE more strength to win, but she didn't know where she'd get it from. "Tiring out little miss attitude?" he yelled across the Warehouse, "I really hope you are, you're becoming a rather bore some, tiring child, I want to end this quickly." She huffed a little but stayed quiet, as he continued to assault where she'd just been about ten minutes, or might it have been ten days?, ago. She couldn't really tell, but she was hoping for some extra go-juice soon, apparently her anger had faded out somewhat, and he just kept on like he had an infinite supply.

**Somewhere between Kansas and the Warehouse,**

"CRAP!" Pete yelled as he looked at his watch, he could feel Claudia needed him, and her time was coming up short REALLY soon, he needed faster transportation, when an idea came to him. Part of the process to make him into what he needed to be to do his destiny had been centuries of genetically continued data, knowledge, but another part had been powers, and lots of them, from healing to just what he needed. Unfortunately there was a tradeoff, it would temporarily weaken his powers should he do it, but he had no other choice, and he made a decision. "Geese I hope this works!" he said as he though on it, but fir he needed to warn Claude, and another far far less taxing power popped into his mind, communication, telepathy, "Why not?" he asked himself out loud. Focusing on Claudia he sent a message to her, telling to hold on, he was coming to back her up. After he did that, he looked around at the Jeep, "Sorry old buddy, but you won't be forgotten."

Closing his eyes Pete began to focus on the Warehouse, its surroundings, and most importantly the two people inside, one of then, the sinister one moving close behind the other one, like he was stalking his prey now. "Not gonna happen bud." He said as he opened his eyes, and they turned a fantastic shade of red/gold, and in the next instant the Jeep, which had been useful much of its life, was suddenly no longer there, instead, there was a big char mark on the road, and a steering wheel, which was all kinds of melted.

**Outside the Warehouse,**

Mrs. Fredericks felt, rather than heard or sensed the arrival of Pete Lattimer, which wasn't too hard as his jeep went flying in at very low level, and she knew that this was something that hadn't been done in a long time. But she also knew it meant that Claudia would get some much needed help, as they'd seen her side of the Warehouse barrier slowly slip, barely a centimeter in the time it had gone up to combat the other, but a slip, is a slip none the less. "Hey Mrs. Fredericks, is..." Steve and Artie both said, "Is that Pete?" they both sounded stunned as he flew by, and into the shield, and THROUGH the walls of the Warehouse. Smiling she looked at them, "Who did you think it was?" and she turned back to the Warehouse, and then, she sat on the hood of Steve's Prius. As Artie both guffawed, and went about worrying hoping, and praying things would be okay, she KNEW they would so, she allowed herself to relax, and watch the shield.

**Inside the Warehouse,**

Claudia had felt Pete tell her to hold on, and that he was coming for her, and the Warehouse, how she knew it, and felt it she didn't know, but she was emboldened by it, and it made her energies pick up a bit, enough to notice Paracelsus had found her, and was hunting her. So she wasn't too surprised when she turned a corner and there he was grinning like a Cheshire cat who'd just gotten his big prey, and was about to toy with it, before the kill. "You've led quite an admirable chase Frau Donovan, but the game is over." Shaking her head, and smiling to herself she slightly grinned at him, "You think because you have me here, I'll give up?" Scoffing she folded her arms, and glared at him, "I WILL beat you, old man, this is MY WAREHOUSE."

Grinning he moved a step towards her, like a viper teeth out, and ready to attack, slowly he moved forward, and she backed up, not giving him any emotion, but a blank face. She felt the sudden spike in his power, and knew he would hit her with it, her powers were severely gone, and she could only put up the most basic defenses, as she'd used them all, during the battle, and she wasn't too sure about any offensive powers any more. "Prepare to die, brat!" he spat out as his biggest attack yet formed. Closing her eyes she waited for it, and she even felt its release, and path towards her, and thought 'Damnit!'

He'd managed to keep both of them from hearing or seeing him, and he'd done a pretty damn good job if he did say so himself, no need to mention they'd both used up pretty much all of their powers, him offensive, with NO DEFENSIVE AT ALL, and her with no defensive, but a plethora of offensive powers. He felt the energy spike, the last of Paracelsus's powers, all in one big attack. He knew two things, he could protect Claudia, but he COULD NOT kill Paracelsus, that had to be a connection shattered by the "current" caretaker. So without any thought he charged in, defensive powers at maximum, shields, 'hmm that's new', he thought as the attack hit him square on, and made a big explosion, sending dust all around. Smiling he sent Claudia a boost of energy, the energy of his love, love for the Warehouse, and his friends, and the love he'd always felt his mother rejected him, but later found out that it was love that had kept her from him, her love FOR HIM. Also sending a message her way he said to her, "The guardian is here, protecting you, now I can't attack him Claude, you have to do it, you have to kill him…with love" He felt her aura give a little nudge of acknowledgment as she disappeared, and he smiled, he'd also protected her from being sensed.

"Ahhh!" he heard from through the fog, the voice of Paracelsus, the voice that seemed to only draw anger in him the day before, now seemed to draw…pity, and an acknowledgment of the deficiency of love, true love in the man's life. Sad it would have to end. "I sense that you are no more little witch, but sensing and seeing are two different things." Pete saw the fog begin to clear, and allowed a smirk, and waited for Paracelsus to come through. "WHAT?!" he head the surprise, and anger there, as the man ran right up to Pete. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" What had been a smirk was now a full blown smile, and he touched Paracelsus's shoulder, stunning him, and his senses. "Seems, I came back" Not acknowledging Claudia sneaking up behind Paracelsus, he looked him in the eye, to defeat anger and hate I thought before, that we needed those things, but, we don't." Stopping his smile, he let his pity show through, "We need LOVE, not anger, we must love our enemies, and so I forgive you."

Somehow hearing those words didn't hurt Claudia as much as she thought they would, why? She'd figured out the way to defeat Paracelsus was not through anger or hate, it was through love, love and forgiveness. With pity in her heart, and a tear in her eye, Claudia used the powers Pete had given her, the powers of love, and in a second the pure evil, and hate that was Paracelsus turned to fear, fear because it knew it was over. As she swung the sword, imbued with her strength and determination, and Pete's love, and forgiveness, she realized that's why the Warehouse chooses people with destiny's, not for pain, or anguish, but for the immense powers of love. As she saw the burning remnants of what was once Paracelsus, she realized that while the body was immortal, the soul was not, and without a soul, the body was nothing. And Paracelsus had given up his soul a long time ago.

**Outside the Warehouse,**

Artie almost was asleep, if it wasn't for the fact that CLAUDIA AND PETE WERE IN BATTLE! So when he heard both Mrs. Fredericks and Steve gasp, he had to re-open his eyes, he was a tired man after all, and what he saw he couldn't believe. The field not only was now fully golden red, but the blue was gone, for good it looked like. "I hope that's a good sign!" he heard Steve shout as the three made their way to the entrance, as the shield went down. "COME ON!" Mrs. Fredericks shouted, somehow farther along than Steve. Artie smiled as she opened the door, and motioned them on through, knowing that if Claudia had lost then they wouldn't even be this close. Racing down the tunnel, he couldn't eve care about the name right now, he had one thought, "She did it!"

**Artie's Office,**

Exhausted Claudia had passed out not to long after the death of Paracelsus, and Pete had had to carry her up to Artie's office, As soon as he'd reached the top though, she moved a slight bit, and he stopped. "Claudia, have you been awake this whole time?" he asked, and he didn't move for a few seconds, trying to see if she was just moving in her sleep. When he felt the suppressed giggle, and heard her act like she was tired she said, "No?" Smiling he set her on her feet, and had to stop from laughing at her distaste of having to walk the rest of the way. "Come OOOONNN! I fought him for nearly two or three days alright I shouldn't have to walk." Bopping her on the head he smiled, "True, but I had to fly air Pete from Kansas to here to save your butt when he started getting the drop on you." Smacking him she opened her mouth in an 'O' but it was defeated by her smile, "You suck Pete, besides, I'm the lady, aren't you supposed to carry me off," and she started the dramatics, "when I'm tired?" And then she straightened up, and poked him in the chest, "Especially when it was YOUR fault I was in this predicament?" "Nope, fate, or destiny, or whatever, on another matter, is that chicken I smell?"

Dropping to the floor she couldn't stop laughing, "Hey I'm serious, now get up missy?" he said, and when she didn't stop laughing, he tickled her. She shot up like a cannon the second he stopped, and gave him a murderous look, that was 50/50 joking or serious. "I'll get you Peter, I swear I will." She stopped though as she looked into his eyes, and saw some pain there. "What's wrong Pete?" He nodded toward the office, and she nodded back. Setting off, for the last floor, she looked at his wrist, and saw the shackle, and felt the shield of the Warehouse go down, she doesn't know how she knows, but she does. When they got up into the office half a minute later, she grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward the chair, and pushed him down into, then sat on his lap, and put her head on his shoulder like many times before. They used it as a catharsis, a way to relieve stress and tension from personal matter, and no one knew, they just talked like brother and sister. "You want to talk about it?" She looked up at his face, and he only said three words. "My mom's gone."

He couldn't believe his words, he'd just old Claudia what had made him so down, he didn't expect her to move her other arm around him, but, he was glad for it, and he hugged her back. "I missed you Pete." She said to him, and then she pulled back, and then slapped him across the chest. "Never do something that foolish, no matter the reason we can't lose you either, for any reason, gotta have someone to trick." He looked at her, and he smiled, "That's the Claudia I know, and I have a feeling Myka's gonna be just okay." Smiling she hugged him again, and in a minute, both were fast asleep from the exhaustion, plus Pete needed to heal from that blast, neither noticed, but his back had just healed from having the skin ripped off.

A few minutes later Artie, Steve, and Mrs. Frederick found both Claudia and Pete sleeping in Artie's comfort chair, fast asleep. Artie went to wake them up, but Mrs. Fredericks stopped him, and shook her head. "They need rest Artie, both of them." Looking at the two she changed the subject, "let's get Myka, and then get some food." Artie stood still for a minute, and then nodded, Claudia had earned it, and Pete had redeemed himself, sleep was in order. Steve stayed a little longer, smiling at the two, then he grabbed his camera, snapped a quick pick, and said to no one in particular "Blackmail material", and smiled as he left. After he closed the door, the two "sleeping" people moved, and smiled. "They have NO idea how little sleep we need now right?" Pete asked her, and she poked him, "You sir, forget Mrs. Fredericks." She got up, and found a weird key sitting by her computer with a note. "The Warehouse is YOURS now, take care of it. Mrs. F." Squealing with joy she showed Pete the note and key.

**Unknown,**

"Yes sir, the Warehouse still stands." The loyalist reported to his boss. Smiling the boss wrapped his old fingers around his old wooden cane, and gripped it. "Good, good, we'll need it for later."

**Authors Note (end):** So I hope you liked the story, worked for a while on it, and hopefully you'll want more. Also, if you have any ideas for a name for this episode, past S5E1, give me your ideas, and the best one will be picked, as I can't really think of anything, and I thought it'd be an engaging thing for you readers out there.

Thank you for reading.

Jameron4eva


	2. Episode 5x02

**Episode 2: Secrets of the Damned**

**Author's note**: New episode, kind of cheesy but oh well. I might update future eps this close, to the last one, or might go a week in between depending on how I feel, most of this was done last night, and unlike the 1st episode I actually got some sleep, so I hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing of the show, blah blah blah, SyFy "owns" the show, and all properties there in. *cough* we want more episodes, and no cancellation *cough*

**Inside the Warehouse,**

Looking at the mess that was left over from the battle between Claudia and Paracelsus, Artie was astounded at just how much had actually survived, but what didn't was left nothing more than a pile of ashes. "Remind me to never piss her off." Artie said as he turned to go back inside his office, only to find the woman behind him, smirking. "What's going on gramps, how are things shaking?" Giving her a look like he wanted her to shut up he walked close by her, and smiled at her. "You know, since the Warehouse is kind of a mess, and is in need of CARE, who better to CARE for it by cleaning it up, than the caretaker?" and he finished his sentence off by handing Claudia the broom-stick he'd been holding. Whistling a little tune he opened the door to his office, and went inside.

"YEAH THANKS ARTIE!" Claudia shouted back at him, shaking her head side to side, then patting the Warehouses wall. "Don't get mad at him baby, he doesn't think sometimes." "I heard that!" was heard from the office in response, and she scurried away before Artie gave her more work to do. She made it down to the floor in record time, and began thinking about the changer her life had taken in the last week, going from future caretaker, to THE caretaker. Smiling she looked back at Artie's office, of course Mrs. Fredericks stayed on to help, in an "advisory" role, no action. Smiling Claudia walked down a random aisle, and saw Pete standing there, lamenting the loss of his precious Jeep.

"You know Pete, now you can join the Prius club." He heard from behind him, and he smiled a little. Pete had made himself kind of a recluse the last week, since it all went down, and he felt he had every right to be. He showed up on time, started on the punishments Artie had heaped upon him, and then when a ping came through he snagged bagged and tagged the artifact, and brought it back, no muss, no fuss, and most importantly no jokes. He knew he'd made a big mistake trusting Paracelsus, and he was implementing a form of self-punishment, and he felt he deserved it.

Shaking her head Claudia set the broomstick aside, and folded her arms under her chest, she knew what he'd been doing the last week, and why, but she'd totally forgiven him, why couldn't he just see that it was all good? Shaking her head again she walked up to him, and put her hand on his shoulder, she couldn't explain it, but over the last week, she'd known almost exactly where he was, and what mood he was in, usually depressed, or guilty. "Pete, come on man, this isn't healthy," she said, and kept her hand on his shoulder, "I forgive you, and I know the others do as well, especially since you came back and helped me save the Warehouse, which now wants to be called 14 by the way." Seeing he still hadn't responded, she turned around, and put her hand on her head, trying to think of something to do to help him, of course that was to get Artie to lay off on the punishments, Pete had already re-mapped the entire Warehouse 3 TIMES!

Getting an idea, she walked away for a minute, knowing she'd be able to find him anywhere, something which still freaked her and him out to no end, and had the council of regents watching them closely. She spotted the gooery, and looked back to make sure Pete hadn't followed, and opened the door. "Okay now let's see, what do I need?" she thought out loud while getting a small amount of goo, or at least small to her. She was still trying to get the "small" amount of goo out, when she heard a voice behind her. "Now what have we here?" Steve asked as he caught Claudia with a deer in the headlights look. "Um, um, "Claudia tried to think of something, and failed, sigh she said, "Alright, I MAY be trying to cheer Pete up." She saw a slight resentment in Steve's eyes before it was squashed, she knew Steve had forgiven Pete, but he was getting hung up on it even happening in the first place. "No, I know what you're thinking, and he's already beating himself up for it." She said pointedly at Steve who held his hands up in surrender.

Steve dropped his hands, but couldn't stop himself from saying, "But Claudia he DID put the Warehouse in danger." He knew that was a mistake as soon as he said it, and the look Claudia gave him said so. She shook her head for a second, and then fixed him with a glare, "Don't you think I know? I also know he was trying to save Myka, and frankly I would have, no I DID the same thing, remember?" Steve knew what she was talking about and dropped his gaze to the floor, "No, you look at me when I'm talking to you Steve." Steve picked his gaze back up and saw a face of near stone looking back at him, she only did that when mad, or making a point. "Not only did he fix the problem, he injured himself to save ME, to save the Warehouse. That should be more than enough to make up for what happened, and if you and Artie don't lay off him, don't expect a rosy greeting from me."

He watched as she turned away, and knew what she meant, Pete was family, and if family can't forgive, when the offending member risks even his or her life for the family, then there IS no family. He said to her back off in the distance, "I got it." And then turned around and walked off to find Pete, he may not forget that it happened, but he himself had forgotten a lesson he'd kept learning in his time here, people made mistakes, and when they set them right, don't hold it on them. So Steve walked to find Pete, he may not forget it, but he most certainly will forgive Pete, he needed to. He smiled a little as he saw Claudia slide up beside him with a smile on her face, and they both walked down to where Pete was last.

Pete was still standing there when he found him, Artie hadn't forgiven, or forgotten what Pete had done, how many time has he told ALL of them, the FIRST priority is the Warehouse? How many time has he told them to not use an artifact to prevent a tragedy, his own case was an example of the risks, and the costs of doing so. He knew he'd been acting like a child in the last week, but damn it PETE had caused the man to get free after they caught him, PETE gave him access to the Warehouse, PETE ALMOST GOT CLAUDIA KILLED! Artie wouldn't forgive him for that, he didn't think he ever would either, and he also knew Pete would do anything to make amends, thus he kept putting more and more work, work that's rather unnecessary, as a way to punish him. "Pete!" he yelled to get the man's attention, who turned towards him, clipboard finished and checked off, "I got something else for you to do." Nodding Pete comes over, and takes an equally long list and inserts it into the clipboard, it was another copy of the same paper.

Ten minutes later Claudia and Steve saw Artie walking from the aisle that Pete was just in, and saw Pete behind him, clipboard in hand, and it looked to have a new sheet of paper. "Fuck!" Claudia cursed, then turned to Steve, "That BETTER not be another checklist sheet, Pete's already done 3, or was it 4 of those!" Steve shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, I only saw a clipboard." She looked at him, and he swung his arms out to the side, "I don't know Claudia, I don't know what Artie's making him do, he never told me, just said Pete was working." She turned her head, shaking it knowing that Steve was telling the truth, he didn't know, and then she turned back to him. "Artie better hope it's not." And with that she followed them, the checklist started in the Warehouse 1 section, she knew it by heart, he'd made her do it as punishment a few times, but never 4 in a week.

Claudia was mad, she knew Artie was punishing Pete, but she also knew that Pete would hurt himself doing whatever Artie asked him to do, because he thought that he needed to, to make it up, but she knew it wouldn't work because Artie wouldn't forgive him, she saw it in his eyes. So when she and Steve got to the Warehouse 1 section, and saw Pete working on the list she looked at Steve, " Steve help him, I'm going to find Artie." Steve nodded at what she said, and went up to next to Pete. "Hey man, what's up?" he asked, and Pete flashed the clipboard at him, "Just working on some small stuff Artie wants me to do." Steve nodded, wondering how to approach the subject, before he tipped the clipboard his way a little bit, and started doing the next item Pete had on the list, Artie wasn't even putting new stuff on. "What are you doing?" Pete asked him, and Steve smiled at him and patted him on the back, "I'm helping a friend." Pete smiled a little, and said thanks, then continued on with his work, Steve knew it was going to be tricky and awkward for a little bit, but he knew Steve got his message.

Artie was sitting at his computer, searching up on a new lead for an artifact to give to Pete to look for on his next case, and since Myka was still recovering he'd be going alone once again. So he didn't expect when the door to his office was thrown open, and the red haired storm named Claudia came storming into his office, and slamming the door and locking it. "Hey!" Artie said in surprise, but stopped talking when he saw the look on her face, she was pissed, she was beyond pissed, and he had a feeling he knew why, "Why'd you do that Claudia?" he asked before he could stop himself, and he saw her eyebrow rise, not good. "Oh like you don't know?" she said in a low voice, and Artie knew he was right, though he didn't get why. "Come on, he should be gone he put the Warehouse, and all of us in danger!" he explained, trying to make her see. "True, but he also corrected it, and he saved me, he helped me defeat Paracelsus, not to mention it happened because he was trying to help MYKA!"

She knew her face was red with anger, but she couldn't believe how unforgiving, and bastard like Artie was being, yes Pete had made a mistake, a big one, but he'd also corrected it, saved her, and it only happened because he was trying to save Myka who had had cancer. "I know Claudia, but it doesn't excuse…" she cut him off by moving dangerously close to him, her eyes showing her anger. "No Artie, this ends, now!" she looked him square in the eye, she still hadn't forgotten about her sister either, "No more fucking secrets, no more punishing Pete, you stop it all now, or so help me God you won't be allowed back in MY Warehouse." She said the last part so low she thought he'd almost didn't hear her, but he did. "But Claudia…" "No, my terms or your gone Artie, remember I'm your boss now." That shut him up, and she walked out the door, an air of anger towards how CHILDISH Artie was being, not even willing to forgive.

Pete and Steve were about half way through the Warehouse 1 section when Claudia returned to them, still a little steamed at Artie and his childish stubbornness behavior of the situation, and she'd slammed the door open, stopping them. "Sorry," she said quickly, "Stupid Artie with his stupid games, you can stop Pete." Pete and Steve looked at each other, they both knew she'd been mad at him lately, but not this mad, not mad enough to make her slam doors, she hadn't done that in a while. "It's okay, and Artie wants this done, and Steve's helping me see?" Pete said to her, and she looked him in the eye. "Yeah, well he's only having you do it to punish you for doing what you thought was right, and your letting it happen because you think he's right." She said, slowly walking up to him, and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Guess what Pete, you didn't do a damn thing wrong, stupid and foolish for listening to Paracelsus maybe, but not wrong." She said looking into his eyes so he could see what she was saying was the truth, "And besides, as caretaker I'm boss around here, numero uno okay, so stop." She added with her customary smirk in place.

Pete thought about the 21 year old woman running the Warehouse, ordering Artie and them all around, and he suddenly felt a shiver down his back. "Oh my god, Pete?" Claudia said in response, and he shook his head, "Nah, just a shiver from thinking of the Warehouse being run by a 21 year old, I can see Artie cowering now." He said, and both Claudia and Steve laughed in response. "So now," she said after she stopped, "Let's blow this pop stand for a bit, and get some food in town, I know a new place…" she carried on as the three walked toward the front of the Warehouse, and subsequently Artie's office, to leave for Univille.

Artie was looking at some old case files, and some old maps, still thinking through in his mind about what Claudia had said, and thinking that she most likely was right, but he knew he was too proud to just let it be like that, he was still believing that Pete was at fault. He saw the three walk in and head toward the umbilicule that lead outside, and he said, "Shouldn't you be working?" All three stopped just before the door, and Claudia responded without even looking at him, "Were going out, my call." And with that the three walked out the door, leaving a slightly mad Artie in their wake. "Hey!" he tried to shout, but they were out of the sound of his voice, and he knew they wouldn't be back for a while. Thinking it through he also noted that she'd said, 'my call', and it was then that he noticed Mrs. Fredericks standing there. "She's right Artie, she's the caretaker, and she's one of the big bosses now, besides you can't keep punishing Pete for a mistake, when you yourself changed TIME AND HISTORY on purpose." The accusation hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut, and he opened his mouth to respond, but the look in her eyes told him to not even try it.

**In Univille,**

Pete watched Claudia's face as she drove through the town, and he could tell she was angry, and her mind wasn't quite on driving at the moment, he knew that Artie was on her mind, and he wasn't quite sure why she mad at the man. Ignoring it though for the fact that they were going out into the town with Steve, and all three have a good time, Pete cracked a smile. Looking back at Steve he saw a puzzled face looking back at him. Twitching his eyes toward Claudia he grinned conspiratorially, and saw the light bulb go off in Steve mind as the man shook his head slowly back and forth before mouthing 'no' at Pete. Nodding a little bit, Pete turned back, confident that he'd made it look like he was looking back at a car or something and he watched the road again. 'Whatever your planning Pete, don't make me angry." Claudia said without even taking her eyes off the road.

Claudia tried her best to hide the grin as she heard Pete groan a little at being caught, and him ask how she knew he was planning something. She shook her head, her attempt failing, before turning her gaze for a second to him at the next light, "Simple, you caveman, you simple to read." She said with a grin, making a joke picking on his intelligence. "Hey hey hey!" she heard him say, before she focused back on the road, and found the new restaurant she was planning on stopping at. Now she personally didn't like German food as much as other, to her it was average, and there was better, but she knew Pete loved German food, well really ANY food, but he had a secret love for German food, and she'd heard that this new German restaurant had opened up a few days before, and thought it might make him happy, and distract him from any guilt he was having.

Steve felt the turn and then the quick park that she'd done and took his eye out from his phone to see where they'd stopped and he knew that It was that new German place that he'd told her about like 3 days before then, and made the connection, Pete liked German, and Claudia wanted to get him smiling, really smiling for a little bit. Both she and Steve jumped when they heard the wonder in Pete's voice, "WOW! This is the new German place right? I heard about it a few months back!" Steve saw Claudia look back at him, "He's like a kid in a candy store, no?" she said with a grin, and he just laughed. "If you count being 7 feet and wielding wooden clubs and fish bones for clothes as a child."

Pete saw the smile Claudia was trying to contain, it wasn't hard as her eyes were shut and made a few small wrinkles around her eyes from the squinting she was doing, and he looked at them. "What am I now, chopped liver?" he said making a funny face, and Claudia lost it, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Only if medium-rare buddy." Shaking his head Pete looked at Steve and pointed to him, "Hey Steve, I know you probably don't know this but, who's on first?" Claudia had to stop laughing as Steve cracked a grin, "Well Pete," he started with a straight face, "Who's on first, what's on second, and I don't knows on third." Pete and Steve busted out laughing at Claudia's face, she looked like Trailer when he was thinking about something before she said, and "I think he meant who's getting paid to be on first." The laughter didn't stop until the three went inside and found a table to sit down at.

**In the Warehouse,**

Artie looked at himself in the mirror in his room, and kept running over everything in his mind, trying to think of everything objectively. Artie thought of the situation as a whole, everything from them stopping him when he went psychotic, to Pete rushing into the fray to help an embattle Claudia in this very Warehouse, CLAUDIA'S WAREHOUSE it now seemed. The more he thought about, the more he realized not only was stress affecting his life, and the life of his agents, but he realized that HE was affecting THEM, his anger, his emotions, and his demons were affecting his choices, and his feelings. As he came to this realization he realized why he was so angry with Pete, it wasn't that Pete had made a mistake, it wasn't that that mistake nearly cost them Claudia, and the Warehouse, no, it was simply that Artie felt that it was a betrayal of HIM for Pete to not TELL ANYONE about Myka, to try to fix everything himself. As he realized this, he dropped to the floor and sobbed, and he'd felt like he'd been lied to, not unlike Artie himself had made Claudia feel. Shaking his head Artie got back up, and looked around at the Warehouse, "Time to set things right with the family." He said, to no one.

**At the Haus Von Klaus,**

Immediately Claudia and Steve worried about the choice to bring Pete here, yes he needed to unwind, and not focus on his own mistake for a little bit, but in doing so they'd forgotten something important, Pete doesn't drink. That wouldn't have been a problem, except that as a gift to visitors in its first week, visitors over 21 of course, they were giving out free beer. "Um, on second thought Pete, we might want to leave." Claudia stumbled out, looking at Pete's frozen face, he looked funny, like a deer in the headlights look, with his mouth kind of open, and kind of not. "I agree." Pete said, looking at the good food, but knowing the presence of alcohol might force him to drink, it was a bad habit he'd been fighting with for a long time. Steve knew Pete didn't drink much, or if at all, but he didn't see a problem, "Come on guys, it's only a little beer, what can go wrong?" He knew he'd crossed a line when Pete walked out the door, not saying a word, and Claudia stared at him. "He doesn't drink," she said, "he can't let himself, I don't know why, but he refuses to touch the stuff, makes him do that." She said in a voice that wasn't characteristic of her, and then she turned and headed through the door.

She knew he'd be hiding outside, near a lake, or some tree or something, anything to help the calmness come back, and drive whatever upset him out of his mind. She'd known he was like this for a while, her and Myka talked about drinking on day, and she'd asked Myka if Pete drank, and immediately Myka got quiet, 'That's something he thankfully doesn't do', was all she said before moving the conversation on. Walking up next to him she noted that his shoulders were moving up and down, ever so slightly. Putting her right arm around his shoulders, she stood at an angle to look at him, "it is okay Pete, whatever it is, we can help, I can help." She saw him finish composing himself, or trying to at least, and saw him flash one of his fake smiles, "It's okay, I mean, what kind of man gets afraid of some beer?" he said with a shrug. Moving to stand in front of him she looked him in his eyes, "I mean it, I'm here for you Pete okay? You don't have to do anything alone."

Pete felt the tears come again, how could she possibly think to help him, he'd almost gotten her killed, and he'd almost gotten the Warehouse destroyed, or something worse, and that was when he broke, for only the third time in his life since his dad's death did he break. He felt the cold, and the sting from hitting the ground a few seconds after it, and saw Claudia move down to help him, and he knew if she continued, in a few minutes she'd leave him, leave his life too, but he couldn't find any way to stop it. "My dad," he said, "he was the first one too..." he trailed off, not wanting to say it.

Claudia watched him struggle with saying anything, and felt that he needed this, he needed this release, "Come on big buy, what happened?" she asked him. Looking at her, but his eyes focused beyond her, he smiled, "My dad was the best person, and you would've liked him, calm, level headed, but still fun." Then the eyes watered, and she had to stop herself from looking away, "When they told us, they wouldn't even look my mom in the eye, I mean how could you tell a lady her husband had just died, or the man's kids?" Shaking his head she saw him fight the emotions, "Then my mom began to distance herself, doing work and more work, what at the time I didn't know, no I do, she was a regent." Claudia had to close her eyes to keep Pete from seeing her flash of anger at that, she still hated Pete's mom for what she'd done, and she wanted to have a talk with the woman later, but not right now.

Pete saw Claudia open her eyes again to look at him, and felt her hand squeeze his shoulder, "You can go on, I'm here." she said, and nodded. Taking a breath he opened his mouth again, "Then my older sister, who's deaf, that's how I know sign language," he said working his hands out to spell something, and she smiled, knowing sign language too she knew he'd spelt her name. "Well then she got married, and moved in with her husband, real nice guy as well by the way, took me out a few times, and we had some fun, haven't seen them much since." He said, looking down again, and the light bulb went off in her mind, everyone he's loved has left him, but that didn't much explain the parts of the 12 step Pete was trying to do. "Then what happened, what made you… you know?" she said fumbling around with her words.

Steve had gone after both of them a little after Claudia had left after Pete, and had seen her kneeling next to a crying (?) Pete obviously trying to make him feel better, so he listened in on the conversation the two were having. "I enlisted right out of high school, by that time I was just another soon to be jobless looser, no career, no prospects, and nothing to show for in the romance department, I graduated with a 3.8 GPA, but had too much of a bad attitude to make any use of it, the corps fixed that." Smiling he squeezed her hand a little bit, and cracked his neck, thinking about his time in boot camp. "Drill Instructor Rosado was a tough son of a bitch, made us run PT twice as long as normal, or so the general thought was, and always made us carry our gear, his saying was, 'When the shit starts, you'll need all of that, even if it's just to be used as a tourniquet'."

Claudia saw his eyes glass over for a second, and nodded her hear, a sign to tell him if he wanted to stop he could, and Pete shook his head, he had to do this. "My friend went into boot camp with me, we were lucky enough to be in the same platoon, I wouldn't have made it out of boot with my attitude the way it was, without him, a few year later we got partnered up as a sniper team, just in time to head into Iraq, of course all of this was after me marrying way to early, you know what they say about high school romances." He chuckle/sobbed at that and moved his hand to wipe his eyes. "God Claudia, Iraq in those days, with the I.E.D's an unknown, and violent threat to our vehicles and men." His face turned less warm then, as he remembered it all. "I remember the days after quitting, sitting there with nothing but nightmares, a bottle of something, vodka, scotch, I didn't care what, just something." He closed his eyes, and then opened them again to fix hers with a stare like he was going to ask a question, "Have you ever had day blend together? Like not normal, not from work or anything but truly blend, like day and night have no meaning at all?" She shook her head no and he let out a small chuckle, "Well make sure you don't, especially not when you're behind the wheel," he stopped and closed his eyes again, and Claudia got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I was young, angry and reckless, I was driving drunk with a friend, when I crashed the car, the crash sent my friend flying, he ended up with broken legs," Stopping again he closed his eyes before they could water up, but he was a second too late. "Claudia, they couldn't, the doctors couldn't do anything for him, he lost his legs, and me, I walked away, not a damn scratch, I hurt my buddy, I DID THAT."

Steve looked on with wide eyes as he heard what Pete said, he knew it was going to be bad, and judging by the look on Claudia's face, she didn't expect that either. "That was the day I started to get my life back together, I went into a program, and I've been clean ever since. Of course I finished my degree, of all things a video game design degree, figured since I loved video games, and to be an officer all you needed was a degree." Smiling Claudia punched him on the shoulder, "Still just a big kid at heart huh?" she asked, trying to break the sadness in Pete's eyes. "Yeah, sadly that was also the last time I saw him either, hasn't answered any calls or texts since." Looking down Pete held back a sob, "Then…then when thing are making me feel comfortable again, everything from discovering of the Warehouse to finding out my mom had rejoined the 'circus' after my dad died, brought things back, and then last week…" he trailed off, not sure if he should continue. He closed his eyes, waiting for her harsh stinging words, and her hatred of him, of how weak he is to come and burn a hole through where his heart was, one more person who wanted nothing to do with him. He was shocked when she grabbed him in a fierce hug, one fierce enough he had to tap her to get her to let go.

She couldn't believe what he'd been through, it was so similar, yet so different to her experiences in life, he knew pain on HER level, knew what it was like to cause someone else's pain, and to be ignored as someone not worth the time. So she even surprised himself by hugging him has hard as she did, like an assurance she was there for him, and she would help him, she let go when he tapped her. She let go, and started to get her emotions back in control, as he caught his breath, and she looked at him through watery eyes. "Pete, even if no one else is, I'm here for you, and I'll do all I can to not leave. I'm HERE okay, if you need me, come okay?" Nodding he smiled at her, and she saw in his eyes he'd gotten her message, and now they BOTH needed to get back under control. They didn't hear the movement, nor did they suspect it, so when Steve grabbed them both in a hug, calmly agreeing with her, and pulling them into a deeper hug, they were shocked. For a moment, "Aw come one Jinksy, mushy time is over, let go!" Claudia said, and Steve quickly let them go, trying to keep his Zen, and failing. Pete looked at both and said, "Man, what is it about me that have both men and women clamoring to get at me?" In the next instant all three sat there laughing, making passers-by think they were drunk, high, or both, Pete's dopey grin didn't help matters.

A few minutes later Pete was wiping the tears from his eyes from laughter this time, they'd had some fun talking, sharing some funny things when his stomach made itself known once again. "And the food monster strikes!" Claudia shouted, making even more people look at them, but Pete just patted his stomach with a smile, and looked at her. "Yes and where are we going to eat at now missy?" he asked pointing toward the German restaurant. Smiling she lazily put her arm around his shoulder, and looked at him in feigned annoyance, "She lifts her eyebrow at his foolishness, and pulls out her cell phone to find a place." Ending it with a smile she pulled her cell out, and started the search for a close by, convenient, LOUD place to eat, this was just the beginning.

As they watched her walking around in circles, looking at her phone, Steve got an idea, and looked at Pete with a smirk. "Jinksy," they heard, "don't be planning any pranks I have no feels for a prank war right now." Shaking his head he respond with an of course, and just sat back waiting for her to finish. "AHA!" she shouted a minute later, "Let's get thee to the car so we can go." She said walking over to them, hugging her arms to her to keep the cold from touching her skin. They all get in her Prius as Pete thought about something, "Wait, where ARE we going now?" Smiling she pressed the gas, and looked at Pete with a smirk. "Okay, that's unnerving, stop it please." Pete asked, and chuckling she returned her eyes to the road, only to pass under a just turned red light, and a few seconds later, a set of matching strobes blinked on behind her, "Shit!"

The officer was a 10 year veteran of the police force, he was grizzled, and he had a nice amount of muscle on him to make anyone think twice about challenging him. As he tapped on the window of the female he looked at the passengers, and noticed something familiar about the one in shotgun. "License and registration ma'am," he calmly started, all the while flashing his light inside the car, he received the asked for items, and took them back to his car. After checking them, he thought it odd that an IRS agent would be so young, and decided to check the two passengers as well, which only confused him more, why would an IRS, an ATF, and a secret service agent be hanging together in a small town like Univille. 10 year veteran didn't EXACTLY mean of Univille's police, he'd just transferred. Thinking they were probably working a joint operation together, and that would explain the abnormalness of the situation, plus they seemed like friends, probably knew each other from the same town, the Secret Service guy, probably like an older brother to both, one Pete Lattimer. Closing his ticket book, and looking away from his laptop, memory hit him like a brick, as he quickly re-typed the man's name, and sure enough, bingo, it was Pete, "Hot damn" he said with a grin on his face. Walking back to the car he held the grin in check, "Okay, I see your badges, and they match with your licenses, and your registration is current. I'm going to ignore your stop light violation, THIS TIME, as probably being late for some case, don't know, don't care." he made sure to say in a rough voice, getting his point across, then he took his glasses off, and looked at Pete, smiling. "And Lattimer, remember don't drop the ball," at the confused look, he shook his head and had to say it, "2, 5, RETREAT HELL!" When he saw the realization hit Pete's face he had to stop from laughing. "Take care of yourself Marine, hope to see you again soon, under, better circumstances." Giving a small salute he walked back to his 2014 Chevy Impala, buckled up and drove off.

"What just happened?" Claudia asked looking at Pete, who had another dopey grin on his face, "Don't answer then, assuming since he mentioned Marine you knew him?" Nodding Pete smiled, "Saved my ass, spending about 5 or 6 hours in a damaged Abrams' tank is very boring, and extremely hot." Her eyes opened wide, and she just looked at Pete, "What, I was the one who went back for him, got him out of there. He's the one who shoved a pamphlet in my hands after the crash." Nodding Claudia faced the road, and drove the rest of the way to the diner.

Artie watched as the three came back into the Warehouse at near midnight, laughing their butts off, and looking about ready to sleep. They stopped as soon as they saw him, and Claudia slightly moved in front of Pete, and so did Steve. Sighing he looked at them and took his glasses off, "I just want to talk with him, civilly, I need to…" he stopped as Claudia appeared next to him, and said in a low voice, "Remember what I told you Arthur." Disturbed by both the threat, and her use of his real name, signifying she was really unhappy with him, he put his glasses on, and nodded, showing both her, and Steve he would play nice, he had to. Looking back at Pete Claudia mouthed, 'we'll be outside', and motioned for a reluctant Steve to follow her. When they were both gone, Artie just looked at him for a minute, running through his head what he wanted to say to Pete, how to say it. In his hesitation Pete got the wrong idea, "Look if you want me to leave, if that'll make things better…" he said, letting Artie fill in the blanks. Groaning Artie stretched his neck, and fixed his gaze on Pete. Shaking his head he motioned for Pete to come near him, hoping this worked, he'd seen it many times on TV, and when Pete was close he reached behind him, and gave him a light Gibbs slap. "How could you think so little…?" Artie said, stopping to close his eyes, "So little of yourself, when it's ME who's been acting the child?" He took in Pete's surprise, and allowed a smile and a tear, "I've been a foolish old man Pete, and all I can do, is ask for you to forgive me."

Claudia almost went in there and destroyed Artie for the slap, but stopped when she heard what he said, Artie asking for forgiveness is a rare thing, but what happened next, had a 0.000001% chance of ever happening, two apologies in less than a minute. "And that goes for you too Claudia," he said looking at her through the shades between the office, and the platform, and was that a tear in his eye? Sure he'd kept her sister from her, and he was a bastard for it, but he'd just apologized to Pete, AND to her, and she couldn't stay mad at him for TOO long. Ripping the door open she walked in, a hesitant grin on her face, thinking he might be going crazy, but when he pulled her and Pete in for a hug once she got close enough, and started repeating 'I'm sorry' and crying, she knew it was really him. Looking at Pete, and in a second both deciding to do it, they hugged him back, and they were sitting there like that when Myka walked back in, with H.G. "Well, this is quite the curiosity, isn't it Myka?" she asked, as both Myka and Steve snapped pick on their camera until they heard Claudia and Pete say, "Let's let Artie get them."


End file.
